SC's Tomey wins top prize at Senior PBA event

Charlie Tomey of Spartanburg, S.C., holds his check worth $1,600 for winning the Senior PBA South Region tournament Sunday at Tarheels Lanes in Hendersonville. At left is Tarheel Lanes owner Nick Peterson; at right is PBA South Region Manager Sam Zurich.

DENNIS BERMAN/ SPECIAL TO TIMES-NEWS

By GARY GLANCYSpecial to the Times-News

Published: Monday, December 3, 2012 at 7:13 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, December 3, 2012 at 7:13 a.m.

Tarheel Lanes on Asheville Highway made a big first impression on more than 50 top-notch professional bowlers who converged on Hendersonville this weekend for the Senior PBA South Region tournament.

It was the first time in 30 years, the local bowling alley has hosted the tournament, which featured a who's who of some of the top bowlers age 50-plus from nine states vying for more than $11,000 in prize money.

“The pros really, really found a home here,” said Sam Zurich, the PBA's South Region manager. “We've already gotten verbal commitments from 95 percent of all the pros to come back (next year), so we're real excited about that.”

The two-day tournament ended Sunday afternoon with 62-year-old Charlie Tomey of Spartanburg, S.C., taking the title and a winner's check worth $1,600, after defeating senior tour newcomer Stoney Baker of Canton, Ga., in the finals of match play. Tomey, a sales associate for Dave Edwards Toyota, stepped up big at crunch time with four consecutive strikes late in the third and deciding game to put the match away and earn his third PBA title.

Jeff Scrum of Cherryville, PBA Hall of Famer Tom Baker of King and Dale Csuhta of Wadsworth, Ohio rounded out the top five, respectively. Meanwhile, Randy Violette of Hendersonville won the amateur Pro-Am event on Friday evening.

Tomey, who called his victory “totally unexpected,” had been battling through back troubles throughout the year, while Baker, who had the highest average of the event with a 225, won his first senior tournament two weeks ago in Gastonia after recently turning 50.

“I first met Stoney back in the mid-‘80s, so I'm very aware of his talent,” Tomey said, “and with him just turning 50 he's the youngster amongst us, so I knew who he was even though he was new to the senior tour and I feel quite honored that I was able to beat him.”

It took a dynamite finish in Saturday's qualifying round for Tomey to even make the 16-man field in Sunday's final round. Following what he called an up and down day, Tomey struck out the final six frames of his eighth and final game to qualify for finals by two pins and earn a No. 15 seed for the finals.

In the championship match, Tomey won the first game, 265 to 246, lost the second game, 237 to 214, and then rallied in the third game when he picked up a difficult spare on a “wash out” (a split with the corner pin standing) and then put the hammer down with his strike barrage late.

The field included more than 20 PBA champions, including Hall of Famers Tom Baker and George Pappas of Charlotte (who finished ninth) and Guppy Troupe of Taylorsville with 96 career regional titles among them.

“They're national bowlers, just like the guys you see on TV,” said Ellis DeSimon of Tarheel Lanes. “Some of them, in fact, ARE the guys you see on TV.”

Zurich gave credit to Tarheel Lanes owner Nick Peterson and host pro Wayne Garren for getting the proverbial ball rolling on staging the event in Hendersonville.

“It was truly a great event,” Zurich said. “We witnessed some great bowling, and had a fantastic field. The size could have been bigger and will grow as the tournament progresses, with this being the first year, but what we lacked in size we had with the quality of players.”

Zurich and DeSimon said that next year's event should be “bigger and better,” and they are planning to move the event to October when there are more people in the area and it is not conflicting with events like the Hendersonville Christmas Parade on Saturday.

DeSimone estimated there were about 30 or 40 spectators for the weekend, though that was plenty for a grateful Tomey.

<p>Tarheel Lanes on Asheville Highway made a big first impression on more than 50 top-notch professional bowlers who converged on Hendersonville this weekend for the Senior PBA South Region tournament.</p><p>It was the first time in 30 years, the local bowling alley has hosted the tournament, which featured a who's who of some of the top bowlers age 50-plus from nine states vying for more than $11,000 in prize money.</p><p>“The pros really, really found a home here,” said Sam Zurich, the PBA's South Region manager. “We've already gotten verbal commitments from 95 percent of all the pros to come back (next year), so we're real excited about that.”</p><p>The two-day tournament ended Sunday afternoon with 62-year-old Charlie Tomey of Spartanburg, S.C., taking the title and a winner's check worth $1,600, after defeating senior tour newcomer Stoney Baker of Canton, Ga., in the finals of match play. Tomey, a sales associate for Dave Edwards Toyota, stepped up big at crunch time with four consecutive strikes late in the third and deciding game to put the match away and earn his third PBA title.</p><p>Jeff Scrum of Cherryville, PBA Hall of Famer Tom Baker of King and Dale Csuhta of Wadsworth, Ohio rounded out the top five, respectively. Meanwhile, Randy Violette of Hendersonville won the amateur Pro-Am event on Friday evening.</p><p>Tomey, who called his victory “totally unexpected,” had been battling through back troubles throughout the year, while Baker, who had the highest average of the event with a 225, won his first senior tournament two weeks ago in Gastonia after recently turning 50.</p><p>“I first met Stoney back in the mid-'80s, so I'm very aware of his talent,” Tomey said, “and with him just turning 50 he's the youngster amongst us, so I knew who he was even though he was new to the senior tour and I feel quite honored that I was able to beat him.”</p><p>It took a dynamite finish in Saturday's qualifying round for Tomey to even make the 16-man field in Sunday's final round. Following what he called an up and down day, Tomey struck out the final six frames of his eighth and final game to qualify for finals by two pins and earn a No. 15 seed for the finals.</p><p>In the championship match, Tomey won the first game, 265 to 246, lost the second game, 237 to 214, and then rallied in the third game when he picked up a difficult spare on a “wash out” (a split with the corner pin standing) and then put the hammer down with his strike barrage late.</p><p>The field included more than 20 PBA champions, including Hall of Famers Tom Baker and George Pappas of Charlotte (who finished ninth) and Guppy Troupe of Taylorsville with 96 career regional titles among them.</p><p>“They're national bowlers, just like the guys you see on TV,” said Ellis DeSimon of Tarheel Lanes. “Some of them, in fact, ARE the guys you see on TV.”</p><p>Zurich gave credit to Tarheel Lanes owner Nick Peterson and host pro Wayne Garren for getting the proverbial ball rolling on staging the event in Hendersonville.</p><p>“It was truly a great event,” Zurich said. “We witnessed some great bowling, and had a fantastic field. The size could have been bigger and will grow as the tournament progresses, with this being the first year, but what we lacked in size we had with the quality of players.”</p><p>Zurich and DeSimon said that next year's event should be “bigger and better,” and they are planning to move the event to October when there are more people in the area and it is not conflicting with events like the Hendersonville Christmas Parade on Saturday.</p><p>DeSimone estimated there were about 30 or 40 spectators for the weekend, though that was plenty for a grateful Tomey.</p>